- Diocese of Egypt (Late Antiquity)
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Dioecesis Aegypti
Διοίκησις Αἰγύπτου
Diocese of EgyptDiocese of the Roman Empire ca. 380 – ca. 642 The Diocese of Egypt ca. 400. Historical era Late Antiquity - Established 380 - Muslim conquest of Egypt 642 History of Egypt
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The Diocese of Egypt (Latin: Dioecesis Aegypti, Greek: Διοίκησις Αἰγύπτου) was a diocese of the later Roman Empire, incorporating the provinces of Egypt and Cyrenaica. Its capital was at Alexandria, and its governor had the unique title of praefectus augustalis (Augustal Prefect, of the rank vir spectabilis) instead of the ordinary vicarius. The diocese was initially part of the Diocese of the East, but in the year 370, it became a separate entity, which lasted until its territories were finally overrun by the Muslim conquest of Egypt in the 640s.
The diocese was included in the Praetorian prefecture of the East and included originally five provinces:
- Aegyptus Iovia, later renamed Aegyptus, comprised the western Nile Delta, and had Alexandria as its capital;
- Aegyptus Herculia, later renamed Augustamnica, comprised the eastern Delta, with Pelusium as capital;
- Thebais, which was bounded to the south by the First Cataract of the Nile, with Ptolemais Hermiou as capital;
- Libya Inferior (or Interior), corresponding to Marmarica, with Paraetonium as capital;
- Libya Superior (or Exterior), corresponding to Cyrenaica, with Ptolemais as capital.
Attributes Iovia and Herculia were related to the tetrarchs Diocletian and Maximian respectively, and were later changed to remove the pagan connotations.
By the early 6th century, the provinces had increased with the creation of:
- Aegyptus I
- Aegyptus II
- Augustamnica I, with Pelusium as capital;
- Augustamnica II
- Thebais Superior
- Thebais Inferior
- Arcadia, with capital Oxyrhyncus
During the reforms of Justinian I in the late 530s, the administrative structure changed again. The post of Augustal Prefect (vicar of the diocese) was abolished, and five independent governors (duces), who combined military and civilian authority, were appointed instead. Two of them, the dux Alexandriae and the dux Thebaidos also held the title augustalis (dux et augustalis).[1]
List of Praefecti Augustalii
Taken from the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (except for Theognostus):
- Eutolmius Tatianus (367-370)
- Olympius Palladius (370-371)
- Aelius Palladius (371-374)
- Publius (ca. 376)
- Bassianus (ca. 379)
- Hadrianus (ca. 379)
- Iulianus (ca. 380)
- Antoninus (381-382)
- Palladius (382)
- Hypatius (383)
- Optatus (384)
- Florentius (384-386)
- Paulinus (386-387)
- Eusebius (387)
- Flavius Ulpius Erythrius (388)
- Alexander (388-390)
- Evagrius (391)
- Hypatius (392)
- Potamius (392)
- Orestes (415)
- Theognostus (ca. 482)[2]
- Petrus Marcellinus Felix Liberius (ca. 539-542)
Notes
- ^ The Cambridge History of Africa, p. 447
- ^ Duchesne, Louis (1909): Early History of the Christian Church. From Its Foundation to the End of the Fifth Century. – Volume III: The Fifth Century – Read Books, 2008, p. 550. ISBN 978-1-44377-159-7
Late Roman Provinces (4th–7th centuries) History Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the latter until the early 9th century.Western Empire (395–476)Praetorian
Prefecture of GaulDiocese of Gaul: Alpes Poeninae et Graiae • Belgica I • Belgica II • Germania I • Germania II • Lugdunensis I • Lugdunensis II • Lugdunensis III • Lugdunensis IV • Maxima Sequanorum
Diocese of Vienne (later Septem Provinciae): Alpes Maritimae • Aquitanica I • Aquitanica II • Narbonensis I • Narbonensis II • Novempopulania • Viennensis
Diocese of Spain: Baetica • Balearica • Carthaginensis • Gallaecia • Lusitania • Mauretania Tingitana • Tarraconensis
Diocese of Britain: Britannia I • Britannia II • Flavia Caesariensis • Maxima Caesariensis • Valentia (369)Praetorian
Prefecture of ItalyDiocese of Suburbicarian Italy: Apulia et Calabria • Bruttia et Lucania • Campania • Corsica • Picenum Suburbicarium • Samnium • Sardinia • Sicilia • Tuscia et Umbria • Valeria
Diocese of Annonarian Italy: Alpes Cottiae • Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium • Liguria et Aemilia • Raetia I • Raetia II • Venetia et Istria
Diocese of Africa†: Africa proconsularis (Zeugitana) • Byzacena • Mauretania Caesariensis • Mauretania Sitifensis • Numidia Cirtensis • Numidia Militiana • Tripolitania
Diocese of Pannonia (later of Illyricum): Dalmatia • Noricum mediterraneum • Noricum ripense • Pannonia I • Pannonia II • Savia • Valeria ripensisEastern Empire (395–ca. 640)Praetorian
Prefecture of IllyricumPraetorian
Prefecture of the EastDiocese of Thrace: Europa • Haemimontus • Moesia II§ • Rhodope • Scythia§ • Thracia
Diocese of Asia*: Asia • Caria§ • Hellespontus • Insulae§ • Lycaonia (370) • Lycia • Lydia • Pamphylia • Pisidia • Phrygia Pacatiana • Phrygia Salutaria
Diocese of Pontus*: Armenia I* • Armenia II* • Armenia Maior* • Armenian Satrapies* • Armenia III (536) • Armenia IV (536) • Bithynia • Cappadocia I* • Cappadocia II* • Galatia I* • Galatia II Salutaris* • Helenopontus* • Honorias* • Paphlagonia* • Pontus Polemoniacus*
Diocese of the East: Arabia • Cilicia I • Cilicia II • Cyprus§ • Euphratensis • Isauria • Mesopotamia • Osroene • Palaestina I • Palaestina II • Palaestina III Salutaris • Phoenice • Phoenice Libanensis • Syria I • Syria II Salutaris • Theodorias (528)
Diocese of Egypt: Aegyptus I • Aegyptus II • Arcadia • Augustamnica I • Augustamnica II • Libya Superior • Libya Inferior • Thebais Superior • Thebais InferiorOther territories * affected (boundaries modified/abolished/renamed) by Justinian I's administrative reorganization in 534–536 † re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534, as the separate prefecture of Africa § joined together into the Quaestura exercitus in 536 Categories:- States and territories established in 380
- Civil dioceses of the Roman Empire
- Roman Egypt
- History of Libya
- History of the Middle East
- Christianity in the Middle East
- Civil dioceses of the Byzantine Empire
- Byzantine North Africa
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